Remnants and Realizations
by D.K. Rhoswen
Summary: a few dangerous cabal members have gotten their hands on the source blood.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is set after Sleepers so if you haven't seen that, you might want too. The idea for this story came to me thanks to discussions with my fellow Troopers and Teslenites on GW, so props and thanks to them :) This will have Teslen (Helen/Nikola) moments throughout it and major ones later on, just warning. This is _only _my second chapter fic so bear with me. Reviews are more than welcome =] **

Things had begun to settle at the Old City Sanctuary after all the excitement with the trust fund vampires had been sorted out. It had taken awhile, but eventually Nikola had gotten a handle on his new magnetic abilities. Helen had helped him as best she could, coming up with little training exercises for him and helped him get things unstuck from him. This had been quite the task which had frustrated Nikola greatly, as well as Helen, who could not figure out why it was difficult. Then after, about a week or so, Nikola began noticing that whenever Helen came into a room he was occupying, his powers went a little haywire. This knowledge in mind he began to compensate and it wasn't long before he had full control over his powers.

Nikola had had a few discussions with Helen and it had been decided that he would remain at the Sanctuary. Neither Helen nor Nikola had admitted to it aloud, but they were thrilled with this decision. During the weeks prior to the decision was made, the old bond of friendship had been re-forged and was stronger than ever. Nikola, whose feelings towards Helen had always been painfully clear to him, felt those feelings growing much stronger. Helen, on the other hand, had always felt strongly about Nikola in a way she wasn't sure of, but now with his mortality glaring in her face she was having a harder time sorting out what to do with those feelings. The decision to stay afforded them both the opportunity to not only enjoy their friendship, but sort a few things out.

So it was that one day Kate come bursting in and found Helen and Nikola sitting close together on her couch, sipping some wine and discussing who was the better poet, Boreas or Whitman.

"Oh, sorry. I thought Magneto was in his lab."

Nikola gave Kate a glaring look but said nothing. Although he disapproved of this new name she had given him almost as much as Henry, he did not totally detest Kate. Her sarcastic sense of humor was growing on him. Helen gave Kate a smile and said,

"That's quite alright Kate. I had just won the argument anyways. "

"You mean _I_ had just won." Nikola spoke up.

"What is it you need Kate?" Helen asked, slightly rolling her eyes and dismissing Nikola's statement.

"I got a call from an old associate of mine. He said had information about remnants of the Cabal…"

"Cabal remnants?" Nikola raised an eyebrow, "I thought dear Jack took care of them."

Kate shrugged,

"Apparently baldy missed a few. Anyways I wanted to let you know that Henry and I are taking a van to follow up on it."

"Alright," Helen nodded. "Be careful and let me know what you get the moment you get back."

Kate nodded and turned on her heels to grab Henry and set off. Nikola put his wine glass down, leaned back, and looked at Helen.

"I really do not like the sound of this Helen. The Cabal were dangerous and a huge annoyance in our lives for way to long. And remnants are bound to be more desperate and therefore more dangerous."

"I know Nikola," Helen sighed, "But let's not jump to conclusions and wait and see what Kate turns up. Now, what were you saying about thinking you'd won the discussion?"

Henry gave Kate an unsettled look.

"Seriously, could this guy have picked a sketchier spot to meet us?"

It was late in the evening and the sun was just beginning to touch the horizon as Henry pulled the van to a stop at one end of a back alley the side doors of the van facing down the alley and the engine pointing back towards the main road, ready for a quick getaway. Kate looked down the alley, it was definitely shady but all she said to Henry was,

"Ehh, it's not a big deal. I've been to _waay_ sketchier meeting places."

"What's this associates name anyway?"

"Never got his real name, always just called himself Poseidon."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. It has to do with the hair. You'll see."

Then a figure appeared around the corner at the far end of the alley. Kate recognized the hunched figure and blue beard instantly. She hopped out and before walking down towards the guy said to Henry,

"See what I meant?"

"Yeah," Henry replied to her back, "The hair explains it perfectly."

Kate hadn't made it even halfway down the alley when the guy had reached her.

"Poseidon, I thought you had disappeared for good." Kate said to him.

"I might if you don't keep it down!" he shushed her, "I got some real good information, but it's going to cost you."

"What's your price?" Kate asked, uncertainty rattling in her gut.

"I want asylum at the Sanctuary."

Shocked Kate stammered,

"I…uh…yeah sure. But from who?"

"The Cabal, or what's left of them. I used to work with them, as you know. I was contacted by a scientist I use to associate with who worked for them too. He told me that he and a few others who survived the attack from Ashley's father had found each other, banded together, and decided to rebuild."

"That's really bad…"

"That's only the half of it! One of the first things they did was get their hands on the Source Blood since one of them was an assistant to the doctor that made the super-abnormal's. They used the Blood and the research to make a new serum. One that once injected apparently instantly brainwashes and turns a person into the super-abnormal."

"How do you know all this?"

"I thought it'd be a good idea at first, to join up with them. I got in pretty deep over the last few months or so. But once I found out about the super-abnormal serum, I decided it was time for me to get out of there."

"Yeah, I think it's best if we get out of here to finish this conversation back at the Sanctuary." Kate said him.

They turned to go to the van and there was a shot from the building above. Poseidon fell to the ground as Kate pivoted, taking out her gun, and fired it at the rooftop. She saw a dark shadow duck away from the edge and heard the van door opening. She grabbed Poseidon, dragged him into the back of the van, slammed the door and Henry pulled the van away. Kate flipped Poseidon onto his back and examined the wounds, pulling out two small darts. Thinking nothing of it Kate flicked them away and opened the medical kit, and began tending to the wounds. She had just dialed Magnus to tell her to prep for a gunshot wound when she noticed the claws beginning to elongate on Poseidon's hand.

"Kate?" Helens voice spoke in her ear, "Are you there? What is it?"

Kate flipped the body over and opened the eyelids,

"Oh my god."

"KATE?!"

"Please hold Kate is currently dumping a SUPER ABNORMAL out of a moving van!"

Henry had turned around at Kate's "oh my god" and seen the claws, red eyes, and swerved down an alley. Kate put her phone down, opened the side door, and shoved the body out. As the door closed again Henry hit the gas and took a left out of the alley.

"HOLY CRAP!"

"No kidding!" Kate replied, picking up the phone, "Sorry Magnus. We had a slight problem but it's taken care of."

"What the bloody hell is going on?!"

"Oh, nothing really. My informant got shot after telling us that the Cabal are back with the Source Blood and then turned into a super-abnormal. Nothing we couldn't handle."

"WHAT?! Get back here _immediately!"_ Helen ordered, horrified.

"We were thinking of picking up some Chinese first but if you say immediately, immediately it is." Kate drawled before hanging up.

A few minutes later and Henry had paused at the main gate to enter the code. Kate had moved up front to sit beside Henry. He had just punched the last number when there was a sound from the back of the van. They both turned and saw Poseidon glaring them down from the back of the van.

"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!" Kate hollered.

Henry hopped out his door and bolted for the Sanctuary as Kate emptied a cartridge into the super-abnormal's head. She then dashed out her door, re-loading as she ran. A little ways in front of her Henry was almost there when Poseidon ran past her to Henry. Before Henry could defend himself he had been slashed and fell to the ground from the force of the blow. Kate opened fire and emptied another cartridge. She was scrambling to re-load as the super-abnormal advanced on her when a blue stream appeared and Poseidon collapsed dead to the pavement. Kate looked up, breathing heavy from adrenaline to see Nikola holding the weapon and Helen right beside him gun drawn with Will jogging up behind them.

"Well, it seems it was a good idea for me to grab my genius weapon." Nikola grimaced.

"It would seem so," Helen said to him, then drew her walkie-talkie, "Is the shield good?"

"Yes." Big Guys gruff voice replied.

Will, in the meantime, had walked up to Kate who had not moved from where she was staring at Poseidon.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just thinking that Tesla might have to make more of those weapons."

Helen had put away her gun and knelt beside Henry. She checked his pulse and then said,

"He's just unconscious, probably in shock. But I need to get him to the infirmary to tend to these wounds before he bleeds out."

Nikola passed the weapon off roughly to Will and kneeling down lifted Henry and walked off, Helen at his side repressing a smile as Nikola muttered,

"C'mon wolverine, you get to bleed all over my new suit! Doesn't that make you feel special?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So this was a fast update, enjoy it bc im going to be swamped the rest of this week and during the weekend so the next update might not be for awhile. Hopefully, this chapter should hold you over for awhile. as always enjoy =] 3 **

Helen had tended to Henry's wounds and left him in Big Guy's more than capable care. She was in her office and was joined by Nikola, who took a seat in an arm chair, and a few moments later Will and Kate strolled in. As Kate choose to sit on the couch with Will standing before the fireplace Helen had a flash back to when everybody had gathered the first around they went after the Source Blood and a tiny pang tugged at her heart at James' absence as well as her daughters. Pushing it away Helen perched herself on the edge of her desk, crossed her arms and said,

"Alright Kate, fill us in."

Kate took a deep breath and rapidly explained what Poseidon had told her. As soon as she finished Nikola tapped his finger tips together, pursed his lips, looked at Helen and said,

"Well, it seems the Cabal are going to be an annoyance in our lives for just a little while longer." He sighed, "Though not much longer if I have anything to say about it."

"But what are we going to do about it?" Will jumped in, "If they have super-abnormal's we are completely out matched this time, all of us."

"Are you actually suggesting we hunt these guys down immediately?" Kate asked a little incredulous, "I mean, it isn't like they could ever try and take down the Sanctuary Network, let alone even just one Sanctuary. Normally I'd say 'yeah let's go kick some bad guy ass!' but they don't have any real power. Why not just let them flounder around for awhile?"

Nikola shifted in his chair, slightly irritated, and sighed

"Kids these days," He exhaled and stated, "We have to go after them now because they have the Source Blood. For now yes, they don't have a genius or even semi-smart person working for them who can do anything more than create more super-abnormal's. But with time and a few unconscionable coercive methods, they could do much more with it."

"Nikola is right," Helen agreed, "We don't have a choice. We must do something about this immediately. Will, Kate, I want both of you to coordinate and reach out to the community and see what you can find out about this new sect of the Cabal."

Will and Kate nodded and went off to do just that as Nikola rose from his chair and walked over to stand in front of Helen. He watched the way her eyes moved and noted the tension that covered her body. This was hard for her, talking about the Cabal and their super-abnormal's, and he knew it. Standing barely a foot away he tilted his head so his eyes caught hers.

"Helen, are you all-right?"

Looking into the deep pools that were Nikola's eyes Helen could see he already knew the answer to his question. She gave a small sigh and replied,

"I will be fine Nikola, Thank you."

Nikola knew better than to press the issue, when Helen wanted to talk she would, so instead he put his hands on his hips and said,

"So, what can your resident genius do to help in the hunt?" and gave her an impish smile.

Helen felt the grin creep onto her face at his stance and his words, and replied,

"Nothing ever deters your ego does it?"

"Ego?" Nikola replied, "No ego, just pure facts."

Helen rolled her eyes,

"Oh right, of course my mistake."

They shared a moment of smiles before Nikola said,

"So, what can I do?"

"Will said we are out matched but that isn't entirely true. As much as I hate to feed your ego, the weapon you made is the only thing that can combat the super-abnormal's. But that is the problem, we have _a_ weapon."

Nikola raised an eyebrow at her,

"You want me to make more…"

"We don't really have any other choice. One weapon won't be enough."

"Very well, that shouldn't be a problem. What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm going see if those darts Kate pulled from the super abnormal have any traces of the drug left and see if I can create counteractive drugs."

And that was how everybody spent the next week and a half. Will, Kate, and Henry, who was quickly back on his feet, were doing all they could to find any kind of lead. Nikola, after about a day's worth of work, realized he could make the weapon more portable through a series of small adjustments. After another a day and a half he had his first prototype that, after a test on yet another Nubbin injected with some preserved blood from the super-abnormal, proved to be as efficient as the original weapon. Except now instead of carrying around the bulky old version, the new one was about the size of a Bordeaux wine bottle. Helen in the meantime had found a few drops left in the darts and spent a day or so analyzing it and then proceeded to synthesize a few small amounts of it. After which, she began to try to find a way to counteract their effects. When she was starting this, Nikola had already perfected his weapon and he began to split time between making more of his weapon and aiding Helen in lab.

Then Will's connections in the police department paid off. He had been keeping an extra close on reports that came into the police department and a report came up from the industrial district in Old City that a few workers had been taking a short cut and passed a building and they claimed to have seen a "thing appear from nowhere outside one of the buildings to be greeted by a guy in a lab coat" who had ordered the thing after the two workers. They had escaped by sheer dumb luck and when the cops arrived mere hours later, the place was abandoned.

"They cannot have gone far." Will theorized as they had all gathered in Helen's office again.

"Dr. Expendable has a point, surprisingly." Nikola concurred, "If they picked up and moved in a matter of hours they had to have a beta-site somewhere close by."

"You don't really think they'd stay in Old City," Kate questioned, "I mean it's our backyard. It was pretty bold of them to have a base here to begin with."

"That's how the Cabal has always functioned though," Helen pointed out.

"You know, I bet they need a lot of power to be doing all this," Nikola mused aloud.

"I can scan the power outputs from buildings in the industrial districts," Henry said.

"Good. Start with New City's industrial district." Helen told him.

Henry took off to do so, and Kate soon followed but Will lingered in the door a moment.

"What is it Will?" Helen asked.

"Ah, I was just wondering how you're doing, with all of this? I know that this must be kind of difficult on you…"

Nikola carefully watched Helen's reaction to Will's question from where he sat in a chair before her desk. He saw the hurt flash momentarily in her eyes, and how she shifted almost unnoticeably, as if to adjust her weight but knew it was really just uneasiness. But Helen's only reply was,

"No, I'm just fine."

Will turned and left then as Helen went and sat in the chair next to Nikola. They remained silent for a long while.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Nikola almost whispered breaking the silence.

Helen looked up sharply and stared at Nikola, perplexed.

"I should have been there, after everything with the Cabal and Ashley. Druitt and I, well, you know we do not, ah, get along. But I should not have let that…I could have…I should have been there." He finished lamely.

A warmth crept over Helen's heart that spurred her to reach out and take Nikola's hand. She felt his hand warm in her own for the first time in a hundred or so years. Startled Nikola, heart thumping wildly, looked at her hand clasping his own where it rested on his knee and lifted his eyes to her deep blue ones.

"Thank you Nikola. But you are here now, that is all that matters to me." She smiled slightly and gave his hand squeeze, "Now come on. Let's get back to work shall we?"

He returned her smile and they went back to her lab which is where Henry found them, working shoulder to shoulder, when he came to announce he had found a likely location for the Cabal sect, and based on satellite imagery, it was still active.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I am so incredibly sorry this took forever to update! I was really busy and then my computer crapped out and I had to get it fixed. *sighs* Trust me I was as anxious to write as you my lovely readers were to read it as I have had certain scenes from this chapter playing out in my head for a very long time now. Anyways, I apologize again for the wait and hope you enjoy this update =] 3 **

Later that same day, as dusk was just snuggling up to the world, the Old City Sanctuary team was in vehicles hurtling towards the industrial district of New City. Helen, Nikola, and Will leading the way in a sleek black suburban with Henry and Kate in the van behind them. Helen was behind the wheel, eyes intense and focused on the road but her thoughts were winding and twisting all over the place, flitting from meticulously going over the details of the plan to worrying whether Nikola would truly be able to hold his own still in a fight and on to a million other things.

Nikola had taken the front seat from Will pointing out that children always sat in the backseat, earning him an eye-roll from Will and a tiny smile from Helen. Now as the car rumbled on towards an unknown battle Nikola averted his eyes from staring at the way the setting sun profiled Helens lovely face making it seem even more perfect, to look down at his own hands. Hands that conquered electricity to change the world forever, hands that had been more deadly than any weapon mere mortals used against him, hands that were now just commonplace and vulnerable. Even with his magnetic capabilities, and his ever genius level brain, he still felt like a nobody, and the hurt that stabbed at him with these thoughts caused him to ball his hands into a fist and look up away from them and straight into the eyes of Helen that smiled reassuringly at him. Of all the people he had ever known, Helen was the only one who could make him feel better under the current circumstances.

Sitting in the backseat Will was feeling more and more like third wheel as the anxious silence over the revving of the engine softened to an atmosphere of reassurance over the two people upfront. Clearing his throat a little Will asked tentatively,

"So Magnus, I'm thinking we should park a minimum distance of a block away from this place, if not two blocks."

"Just what I was thinking Will." Helen replied through her rearview mirror.

And a few moments later both vehicles slowed to a stop a block from the suspected building. Dark was now wrapping its arms around the sky and the orange glow of lights was beginning to flicker to life. They all grouped around the far side of the van. Kate leaned her right side casually on the van, Henry rested his back against and Will stood to Kate's left his arms crossed.

"Everybody clear on the plan?" Helen asked.

"Get in, survive this and get out. I got it." Henry nodded.

"Aw, c'mon Henry, don't tell you have doubts about the MW." Kate teased drawing the weapon.

"MW?" Will asked.

"Magneto's Weapon." Kate explained.

"Perfect name! I like it!" Henry laughed.

"I like it too, though just because it's named doesn't make it any more reliable Henry. Then again I'm Dr. Expendable so what could I know right?" Will joked with them.

There was no much expected snarling reply from Nikola, which caused the three to look towards him and see what was distracting the genius from defending his latest creation. Nikola had in fact been watching Helen load her gun with eyes that were almost drooling with desire. Helen finished this task, looked up at everybody and asked,

"Ready?"

They all nodded that they were and they split up into the pre-determined teams of Helen and Nikola and then the other three as their own team. Five minutes later each team was positioned outside a door of the building, waiting. All of them except Nikola had drawn both a gun and the MW, ready for whatever species they encountered.

Will and Helen both went to work on picking the lock of their perspective doors, partners watching their backs. As Helen worked Nikola took the opportunity to say her very softly,

"You know, you should seriously consider getting a proper holster for that gun of yours."

"And whys that?" She half asked slight annoyance at the distraction from her current task ringing in her voice.

"For starters," Nikola said, undeterred, "sticking it down the back of your pants where it is not easily accessible in dangerous situations is not so smart."

He paused momentarily to see if she would respond, and when she didn't he continued,

"And because you've always looked sick with a gun and always wearing it would just be so hot."

Helen, having successfully unlocked the door, straightened up, looked with what she hoped was a stern face at Nikola saying,

"Nikola you define what it means to laugh in the face of danger."

His wide grin and shining eyes did nothing to help her desire to laugh, despite the danger which they faced. Both teams burst into the building seconds later with guns drawn, except Nikola, but everybody was tensed and ready for a fight, which they soon got. Inside but a minute or two six super abnormal's appeared, three before each team. Nikola's weapon proved most effective as each super abnormal was brought down with a single blast from the MW. The teams then progressed further into the building. The plan was for Will, Henry, and Kate to check each room securing the building while subduing anybody that they encountered as Nikola and Helen went to what they guessed was the main laboratory and reclaimed the Source Blood.

Naturally, things did not go as planned. Helen and Nikola came under heavy fire from two gun wielding men. Nikola sensed the sliding of the bullet in the gun then heard the shot and was able to pivot quickly and stop the bullet before it found its way through the head of the beautiful woman beside him. He managed to buy Helen enough time dodge into a doorway avoiding the next shower of bullets. Nikola then took up position just behind Helen in the doorway, halting the bullets sent zipping their way and sending them back from whence they came. Helen finally managed to get off two shots, downing one of the men. The bullets flew back and forth for a moment more when one of Nikola's bullets found its mark in the remaining mans chest.

Without a word the two of them turned and abandoned their position and fled down the hallway towards their original destination. Thankfully the encountered no more guards and soon reached the doors of the laboratory. They stood on either side of the door, backs to the wall. Nikola closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and used his powers to check the lock of the lab's doorknob. Opening his eyes he nodded to Helen and she swung it open.

Inside was a one man in a lab coat holding something that resembled a gun in one hand and the other hand reaching for what was obviously the Source Blood.

"Don't move another muscle." Helen barked at him and the man froze.

"Ah, Dr. Magnus, how do you like the follow ups to your daughter?"

"Drop whatever it is your holding and back away from the blood." Nikola interjected.

"Tes-la," the man chided, "you're being rather bold for a mortal."

"You're being bold for a man who I'm probably going to kill." Nikola sneered.

"Always thinking of yourself Tesla. One would think that after a hundred odd years you would have learned to think about those closest to you."

And before Helen or Nikola could react the man lifted his hand fired a dart that flew and buried itself just above the heart releasing its toxin into the bloodstream. The man didn't pause to watch and revel in the destruction he was causing but simply turned and fled leaving the Source Blood where it stood on the table because he knew he had little time before the rest of the team arrived.

Nikola cried out like a mortally wounded animal. Yanking the dart from where it had buried itself he threw it away. As the other three came bursting into the laboratory he gently cradled Helen's now limp form in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: this chapter is rather short but I intended it to be just a intermediary chapter of sorts, so that the next chapter is not overly long. I hope you enjoy it =] **

Will dodged another car as he sped hell-bent back to the Sanctuary in the van. Nikola swore loudly in his native tongue as the sudden jolt to the right caused him to fumble the needle he was holding which caused Will to look into the rearview and say,

"Maybe I should have…"

"NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR SEMANTIC'S ZIMMERMAN JUST DRIVE!"

Will revved the engine of the van past 90 miles per hour while Nikola flicked off the protective top of the needle then hurriedly but gently rolled up Helens sleeve and slipped the needle beneath her skin. Pushing delicately he injected the sedative into her bloodstream, thinking how wise it had been of Helen to pack it, he gave her the highest dosage of it that he could bring himself to administer. Nikola put the empty needle back into the enhanced first aid kit, and returned to his previous position kneeling beside Helen's body.

Her face was deceptively peaceful, for he knew what was happening within her and it made his own blood boil and his mind fume. He should have shoved Helen out of the way. He should have stepped in front of her the moment they were in the lab. He should have killed that guy. He should never have allowed himself to get de-vamped. He should have told her he loved her again and again and again. Reaching out a trembling hand Nikola cupped her face and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. He hung his head in shame. All of this was his fault.

Only a few minutes later Nikola was draping Helen over a gurney in the Sanctuary infirmary, and strapping the titanium webbing restraints to her. Big Guy stood in the doorway, hovering, next to Will asking him questions relentlessly.

"What happened?"

"She got hit with one of those darts," Will explained in a voice tinted with worry.

"Where are Henry and Kate?"

"They stayed back in the cabal laboratory getting all the information that they can before coming back here and giving it to Nikola so he can use the research to augment his own."

"Then what?"

Nikola brushed past the two snapping,

"Then I fix my mistake."

Big Guy and Will watched Nikola disappear down the hallway, then turned back to look Helen's prone figure each too afraid to say what they were thinking.

Nikola buried himself in his lab, pouring over all the research he and Helen had done looking for something they may have missed, something that could help. Finding nothing he picked up the research where the two of them left off, trying not to think too much about what would happen should he fail. Two hours into it Henry appeared at the doorway of Nikola's lab, but went unnoticed by the genius who was scribbling away furiously on a piece after checking his microscope. Henry stood there, awkwardly hoping that Nikola would look up and see him but after five minutes passed he had no such luck. So he plucked up his courage, stepped inside and cleared his throat,

"Ahem. Uh Dr. Tesla?" He said hesitantly as Nikola lifted his anguished eyes, "I have everything I could get from the cabal lab."

Nikola swiftly walked around the table and snatched from Henry's hands the files of research and the vial of Source Blood he was holding.

"Good work."

Was all Nikola said to Henry before turning his back, placing the vial next to the microscope and then spread out the files to begin combing over them.

"Do you need any…?"

"No."

Picking up a paper to read it closely Nikola did not even turn around to reply to Henry's question. Henry nodded his head and turned to go, hands jammed into his pockets but stopped in the doorway turning back around.

"I know you can save her Tesla." Henry choked out.

Nikola put down the paper and turned around to face Henry who was still standing in the doorway, eyes glistening with the unshed tears.

"You've got too. I need her."

A tear slipped from Henry's eye at these words as a pang clenched Nikola's heart. He strode forward and took the young man by the shoulders as who tried to hide the tears from the approaching scientist. Nikola looked Henry deep in the eyes and said,

"I promise you, I will work until my dying day if I have too." He gave Henry's shoulders a squeeze, "Now go be with her."

Releasing his grip on Henry's shoulders Nikola turned his back to the door as Henry stepped out, and he once more picked up the files. Nikola sighed mournfully,

"She's the only women I've ever loved Henry, I need her too, more than you could ever know."

As the last syllable sounded, Henry turned and walked away as swiftly as possible so Nikola would not hear him starting to cry.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Right so, this is short again but I hope you'll like it. Or you may still hate me by the end of this chapter too! haha we'll see =] **

With Helens fate almost quite literally in his hands Nikola did not leave his laboratory for forty-eight plus hours. And when he did leave to find Will and give him an update, he almost couldn't bring himself to do it.

Will had taken up residence in Helen's office, slouched in a chair before her desk staring mindlessly at the wall behind it. He heard the soft footsteps approach and then stop in the doorway. Turning in the seat he was surprised to see the scientist standing in the doorway, and before he could say one syllable Nikola spoke.

"No I do not come with particularly good news," Nikola sighed stepping into the room.

Had things not currently been so dire Will would have pointed out the humility and unsure air that was almost painfully evident in the usually cocky voice. Instead he gently said,

"You have something, and that is better than nothing at this point."

"Mmm, you may not agree when you hear what that something is."

Again, Will almost winced at the tone of Nikola's words but said nothing this time, and simply waited for him to continue.

"Using the research Henry was able to scrounge from that laboratory and what she and I were able to do before hand and I deduced that I can modify the MW to get rid of her vampiric and Ripper traits." Nikola carefully avoided using her name, for he was certain he would not be able to choke it out.

"How long will it take you to modify the MW? Should I get Henry to help you?"

"I already modified it."

"Then what…"

"In about ten minutes I'm going to find out if my genius can actually be used for good anymore," Nikola mumbled regretfully, "I just thought you, Henry, and Kate may like to be there when Big Guy takes her out of sedition and I know she would want it so."

And not waiting for a reply Nikola turned and disappeared from the doorway with almost vampiric speed. Will sat a moment more, that had been three times in the space of about two minutes he had been completely taken aback by Tesla's actions and words. Shaking himself a little Will quickly rose to his feet and went off to find Henry and Kate.

He quickly found them seated together in the kitchen. They were seated side by side, silently sipping from their perspective cups, bags under both their slightly reddened eyes. As soon as Will appeared in the doorway they both looked up at him, hope etched hesitantly on their faces.

"Tesla's modified the MW and is going to use it and then Big Guy's gonna wake her up and see if it worked or not."

Instantly the other two were on their feet, following Will to the elevator. Once in it, Kate suddenly turned to Will,

"Wait, how to do you know? Last we checked you were in Magnus' office after briefing the other heads of houses to the situation…"

"Tesla came and told me personally." Will explained.

"Really?" Kate said rhetorically but not hiding her surprised.

"I was as astonished as you were." Will said crossing his arms, "he's been acting a little, not Tesla-ish. I mean even after he was de-vamped, and before that during the last time he was still…

"Arrogant? Cocky? Snarky?" Kate offered.

"Yeah. And this time, there's none of that." Will sighed, "I mean he's using our name, his tone is flat and remorseful, and even his posture is slack."

"He loves her." Henry whispered.

Kate and Will turned to face him in the corner where he had been standing apart from them. They gaped at him for a second, not quite sure they had heard him right.

"How do you know?" Will asked.

"When I brought him the research from the lab I had a little breakdown and when I walked out I leaned on the wall next to the entrance to Tesla's lab and heard him say that she was the only woman he ever loved and needed her more than I could imagine…" Henry trailed off.

The slightly aghast stares of the others were broken only by the sound of the elevator doors opening. As they walked briskly down the hallway Kate looked at Will and said,

"Ya know, I thought your specialty was picking up on stuff like that…"

"Me too, but they had over a century to get good at hiding how they really felt."

With that the conversation ended as they had reached Helen's current room. Nikola was already inside, standing with a nervous posture, one hand slipped into Helen's unconscious fingers and the other limply holding an odd looking version of the MW at his side. He was gazing steadily at her unmoving features as though he was hoping for a sign that he did not have to go through with this and that any second now he would awake from this wretched dream and find himself in his laboratory once more and Helen standing knocking on the doorframe, a smile on her gracious lips as her eyes glinted with concern and she spoke softly saying he should really try beds, they were a fabulous invention.

And this time neither Will nor Kate could miss the love in his eyes. Their entrance caused Big Guy to turn around and face them. He walked to them grunting,

"You're just in time."

"Has there been any change?" Will asked.

"None."

Then Nikola moved and they instantly shifted to face him. He had slid his hand from Helen's as the others spoke and taken a step back. Waiting until the small shuffling sounds of the others stopped, he then lifted the new version of the MW and looked at them. Big Guy gave him a nod of sorts, to indicate they were ready as they would ever be.

Nikola took another step back and shifted the apparatus in his grip and pointed it straight at Helen. There was what infinite second that passed and then a blue streak shot out and hit Helen's body. Her eyes flew open and her body arched up and then slumped back onto the bed. Nikola recoiled in horror dropping the MW to the ground beside him, stepping back to allow Big Guy to rush past him to check Helen's vitals. After another never-ending moment he announced,

"Vitals are stable. I'm going to revive her now."

They all watched as Big Guy took a needle, pushed into her IV and released the liquid into it. A minute ticked by and not a muscle had hardly moved or breath been barely released and taken again. Then her eyelids fluttered. Will stepped up to the side of the gurney not occupied by Big Guy, Henry and Kate lingered a slight distance from the foot of the bed, while Nikola remained where he was unmoving.

Helen opened her eyes, wide in terror, then taking in her surrounds, anger.

"Magnus, do you know where you are?" Will questioned her.

"Yes." She growled menacingly.

The startled looks were spread on everybody's face, except Nikola's. His crestfallen look was soon replaced with one of understanding and then deep concern became etched on all his features. He shoved his way forward past Big Guy and leaned over Helen.

"What is your opinion of the Sanctuary?"

The puzzled looks were soon replaced with horror has Helen spit her answer in Nikola's face with low threatening tone none of them had ever heard her use before, not even Nikola.

"The Sanctuary Network is pure rubbish. Single most terrible thing I ever did. It will be destroyed and I will be the one do it."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so incredibly sorry that this took so long to finish. I really hope that you have enjoyed this story, and will like the ending to it. Thank you for reading and reviewing it! As always, enjoy =] **

Nikola leaned back the moment Helen spoke and looked at Big Guy.

"Put her back under." He instructed.

The others just looked startled and horrified at Helens words. Big Guy looked back at Nikola,

"What."

"Put her back under, now." Nikola repeated with urgency.

"Nikola," Helen cooed, "Nikola wait."

He turned his gaze to look at Helen, carefully shielding his true reactions and feelings from her just in case. Helen had reached out with the still restrained hand that was closest to the one Nikola still had resting on the bed beside her body.

"Nikola we could do it together. You and I could take over the Network," She gave him a wide grin, "and then the world. I would stand by your side as you would rule the world. Just like, you always dreamed of."

Nikola wrenched his hand from hers and looked at Big Guy,

"What are you waiting for?!"

Big Guy grunted and quickly administered more sedative and a moment later Helen's eyes fluttered closed and her head slumped to one side. Nikola instantly turned and began rummaging the infirmary in the silence that followed. Then Henry said,

"Dude, what the heck was that!?"

"Yeah," Kate said, "what's with evil Magnus?"

"Obviously the mind control drugs were not affected by the modified version of the MW." Will stated.

"Obviously." Nikola drawled.

He had found what he was looking for and bent over Helen and drew some of her blood into a small vile.

"What's that for?" Will asked.

"For me to see if I can detect any of the drugs in her blood so I may counteract them," Nikola said curtly, "Now if you'll excuse me I have work to do." and with that he walked off to his lab.

A day passed before any of the others heard from Nikola. He quite literally holed himself up in his lab and worked non-stop until,

"I think I got it." He announced during a sudden appearance in Helen's office.

Everybody turned and looked at him.

"Think?" Kate gave him a skeptical look.

"Yes, think." Nikola barked at her, "Unless little girl you would like to try and come up with a better antidote thus wasting more precious time."

When nobody made a reply Nikola turned and walked away. Will Henry and Kate swapped looks and then got up and hurried after him to the infirmary. Upon arriving they found Big Guy already standing beside Helens bed and Nikola standing with a needle containing the purplish-black antidote just pushing it into Helen's IV. When it was done Nikola placed the needle on a counter and then grabbed a chair near Helen's bed. Sitting wordlessly he began to watch. The others, exchanged a look with Big Guy, who shrugged and grunted,

"I guess we just wait now."

And wait they did. Over an hour passed before Helen stirred slightly. Her hand twitched and her body shifted and a small groan escaped her lips. Will once again was the first to speak, he came forward to stand beside her.

"Magnus? Are you awake?"

As her eyelids fluttered Nikola rose from where he had been seated and backed away until he was standing just behind Henry. Helen's eyelids fluttered again and this time they opened, and her blue eyes glanced around falling on the face closest to her own, Will's.

"William," she said quietly.

"Yes Magnus it's me Will."

Nikola felt a warmth creep over his heart and resisted the tug of the smile the desired to cover his face like the one that was covering the faces of everybody around him. Instead he lifted one hand and gently nudged Henry forward to stand on the other side of Helens bed while taking a few more paces back himself to lean on the doorway.

Helen's mind was still a little fuzzy on everything. She could vaguely remember the man in the remnant Cabal lab shooting her with one of those darts. A vision of Nikola's terrified face floating above her as she felt consciousness slipping away. The rest was all a blur with odd visions of Ashley and her own mother intermingled with the darkness. She blinked her eyes closed in attempt to clear it and then opened them to ask Will,

"What happened, after I was shot?"

Will sighed and then explained,

"We managed to get you back here and under sedation successfully allowing Tesla enough time to modify the MW to rid you of your new traits but not the brainwashing drugs. That took another day for him to create an antidote for but, here we are." He smiled at her, "You aren't feeling any odd urges to destroy the Network are you?"

Helen smiled back at him,

"No I am not."

"Doc you had us really worried there." Henry told her.

They all began chatting lightly as Will and Henry gently removed the restraints. Nikola bowed his head, hiding his smile, and turning left the room. Helen was looking at Kate who was speaking and saw Nikola smile and leave. She knew how he felt about these kinds of situations and figured she would just thank him once she was on her feet.

A moment later she tried to get up so she could so sleep in her own bed, but everybody insisted that she should remain in the infirmary at least another day just to be safe. She acquiesced, knowing they were right and they all bid her goodnight with a hug that served to reassure both parties involved. Settling in she turned on her side and was soon sound asleep.

Three days later Nikola glided into Helen's lab. She had asked Will to find him and send him to her. Walking in and finding her standing beside a microscope sipping from a wine glass.

"Well this is giving me some serious déjà vu," Nikola quipped.

Helen looked up and a smile grew on her face.

"Hello Nikola. It's nice to finally see you."

"Yes well I have been busy as usual."

"Ah," Helen replied, "well that is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

Nikola, cocked an eyebrow at Helen and crossed his arms saying to her,

"Oh really?"

"Yes," Helen nodded, "Come look at this."

She motioned him over to the microscope. Walking around the lab table he crossed to the microscope, bent and peered into. Then he straightened up saying to her,

"So you have a sample of my cells," He leaned his side against the lab table crossing his arms, "that's a little odd but not a big deal I suppose."

"And how are you so sure that it is your cells under there?"

"Well what gave it away was that the cells are clearly aged to somewhere around 150 but are now clearly aging at a normal mortal rate." He stated in his usual confidently snarky tone.

"Actually Nikola, the cells are one hundred and fifty-_eight_ to be exact."

Confused Nikola stammered,

"But…that's…how old you are..?"

"Precisely." Helen smiled at him. "Something in either the MW or that antidote you created undid what the Source Blood did to me."

She stepped closer to him and taking his hands in her own said,

"Nikola, I am now as mortal as you."

"Helen," Nikola said, shocked, "That was never my intention. I am sorry."

"I'm not." Helen replied without missing a beat.

"You're not?" He looked at her confusion written in his expression.

"No. Longevity has not been a true gift for me but a curse. I have outlived everybody I care about, even my own daughter. And it seemed," she took another step forward bringing her inches from him, "as though that I was going to outlive the only man left I really care about."

Helen finished squeezing Nikola's hand gently. He stood for a long moment just staring at her, unable to find words he found quite right. Finally he settled on,

"Helen, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to," she murmured, "you said it all in Rome."

They stood there, unmoving, just looking at each other as they had before. As Helen looked at him she saw a familiar, though rare, expression develop in his eyes. The expression was one that was completely unguarded and showed a warm emotion that she had only witnessed in the rarest and fleeting of moments between the two of them. And one of those times had been in the catacombs of Rome. It was then she understood that every time he had looked at her this way he had been trying to tell her he loved her, but did not know how.

This knowledge gave Helen the confidence she had been looking for, and she leaned forward and gave Nikola a small kiss on the lips. Nikola was slightly taken aback, but not enough that he didn't lean into it. When Helen tried to pull back he lifted his hands to her face, pulling her back to him and deeper into the kiss. She moaned, parted her lips to let him in and reached her hands up to wrap around his neck. As both savored the interplay of their mouths, Helen slipped her hands from Nikola's neck to grab his shirt and spun them both around so her back was to the lab table. Nikola grunted from sudden action and in response Helen pulled him closer and simultaneously pressed her hips to him. He groaned a little and pushed deeper into her mouth and abandoned his hold her face to grab her waist and keep him pressed to her as objects around the room began to rattle slightly. Finally they both needed to breath and pulled back but remained in their positions.

"Helen are you sure…?" Nikola asked her in a whisper.

"Yes Nikola," She answered, "I was sure before all this, and I am sure now."

"Before?"

"I have always been unsure of how I felt about you Nikola and it wasn't until you got de-vamped that I knew I loved you because I could not bear the thought of losing you." She smiled, "And now it doesn't matter because we have the same amount of time."

Nikola smiled and leaned to kiss her gently and then said,

"Very well Dr. Magnus, you're stuck with me."


End file.
